Thoughts of Spring

Spring is here!  At last.  Yesterday was a deliciously warm day.  And while there are no guarantees it's going to stick around, considering the weather's recent habit of jumping back and forth between spring and winter--and apparently being unable to make up it's mind what season it wants to be in--still, it's here now!  So let's enjoy it!

I don't know why, but a change of season always makes me feel nostalgic.  (There's that word for you, Cordy.  You're welcome.  *wink*)  And the coming of Spring, especially, has a  remarkable way of throwing me back to my childhood, and filling my mind with wistful, happy memories of bygone days.  

["Heehee.  She's trying so hard to sound poetic."  "Oh, hush."]

You know.  The kind of memories which are more feelings than anything else.  You feel the memory rather than think it.  It's hard to describe, but it's like a beautiful, haunting piece of music, wafting over you in a golden (there's a word for you, Naomi!), delicious dance of exquisite joy.  Indescribable feelings, and yet so real.  And so familiar. 

["Did you notice?  You put 'golden' and 'delicious' together.  You're making me hungry."  "What are you talking about?"  "Golden Delicious.  That's a type of apple."  "Oh, please."]

Where was I?  Oh, yes.  Spring feelings...

Happy, contented, comfortable feelings.   

The sort of feelings that go along with reading a good book while sitting in a warm patch of sunlight on your parents' bedroom floor.  Or getting up early, going out onto the porch to eat your breakfast, and basking in the warmth of the morning sunshine with no walls or windows to separate it from you.   The sort of feelings that bring back thoughts of carefree days when you were little and had nothing more to worry about than how Sibling no. 1 wouldn't play with you when you were "so bored";  and Sibling no. 2 wanted to play with you too much, and  you were just plain "tired of it."

You feel young when Spring shows up.  Young and adventurous and invigorated and happy.  It's as if Spring is intrinsically linked with all the best and most joyful memories of your childhood, and every time it makes an appearance it brings those memories to the forefront of your mind.  Brightening your life with the remembrance of them.  

["Uh, pardon me, but is that the proper use of the word "intrinsically"?"  "I don't know.  It sounded good, so I used it.  Now, please stop interrupting.  I am attempting to convey some very beautiful thoughts and you're messing me up."   "Sorry."]

Now, of course, there will always be a slight twinge of sadness that comes with these memories because the act of recalling those happy days gone forever does have a way of bringing the threat of tears to ones eyes.  I know this from experience.  And I suppose I could follow Flora Finching's example and not recall them at all, but then...well, she wasn't very good at following her own advice, was she?  So why should I?  (You know. "Those dear, dead days gone forever, never to be recalled"...except perhaps six-hundred-thousand times a day.  'Hem.)  Anyway, I enjoy being sad sometimes, ["and this is turning into a veeerrry sad post, because she's making veeerrry little sense"] and I think the happiness of these sorts of memories far outweighs the sadness of them.  Don't you?  ["You lost me.  I have no idea what you're talking about."  "Well, if you would stop butting in, it might make more sense."  "Highly doubtful, my dear."]

Now, as I've decided not to follow Flora's example and make believe that I am squashing the memories that are so dear... ["...but, alas, so dead."  "You're on a roll today, aren't you? Blabber-mouth."] Ahem.  As I was saying, I've decided not to follow Flora's example, and so I'm afraid you're all in for a very boring recital of what Spring fever does to my brain.  ["A-hem.  What brain?"  "I refuse to comment on that remark."  "Only because you're stumped and haven't got a good comeback.  Haha!  Very good.  I win!"  "Oh, honestly."]

Moving on...

Spring.

Oooh!  How I love it!

It's a time for doing lazy things in the mornings, like playing board games with your siblings, running in and out of the house for no reason, relaxing on the swings while talking carelessly about simple every-day nonsense.

It's a time for organizing one's room.  For sitting on the floor with your older sister and going through all your miscellaneous junk...I mean...miscellaneous treasures.  Talking and laughing uproariously, and every so often breaking out into a pretend fight over something ridiculous just because that's a fun thing to do; all the while letting your voices rise higher and higher until finally your dad calls up the stairs, saying something about "those silly Bennet sisters," whereat you decide you'd better tone things down a little or risk losing your good reputations forever.  ;)



Springtime and babies.  They go together.  Don't ask me why, but a good solid spring morning is just the ticket for whisking my thoughts back to memories of holding my newest sibling in my arms--smelling the sweet scent of him, and feeling the comfort of his little bundled form pressed against my heart.  Oooh!  Seven years is too long a time not to have a baby in the house. 

Those dear, dead days gone forever...

...but forever to be recalled.

Spring is also a good time for re-watching all one's favorite, most nostalgic movies.  For recalling all the fun you and your siblings used to have pretending to be the characters in those films; and for laughing over how the older siblings always got the first choice of who they wanted to be, while the younger ones had to settle for characters like Lydia Bennett...or Josie Pye.  (No, I'm not bitter.  Honestly.  Even playing the bad girls can become a fond memory.)

Speaking of playing, that's another thing about Spring.  There's something in the air which makes me want to enjoy all over again the games which as a child used to be so thrilling to me.  Paper doll games, dress-up games, tag around the house.  And yet it's true, those days really are gone.  I've grown up.  ["And grown boring."  "Yes, exactly."]  I can't play those games anymore.  But I'm so happy for all the fond memories of them; and I will continue to be happy every single year when Spring rolls around, bringing with it a fresh sense of thankfulness for all that I've been given.  

I am extraordinarily blessed. 

["Even with me around."  "Yes, even with you, you little annoying second voice in my head--which isn't really annoying because I have too much fun with you.  But don't tell yourself I said that."  "Oh, I won't!  Mum's the word."]

"He has made everything appropriate in its time.  He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.  I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor--it is the gift of God."

~Ecclesiastes 3:11-12

 Happy Spring, everyone!!

How's the weather where you live?

What sort of feelings do you get when you catch that first whiff of Spring?